Yard a mess? Rooms appear tired? Home in need of a spring spruce up? Get inspired at the Kansas City Symphony Designers’ Showhouse, located in the historic Countryside neighborhood adjacent to Loose Park.

Until a couple of weeks ago, my closet looked like a jumble sale. I had jeans in nearly every size, designer labels next to thrift-store gag gifts, and sweaters I’d clung to since high school. I felt an oppressive weight on my shoulders every morning as I waded through my over-stuffed rack, trying to find something that fit, felt good, and flattered.

Valentine’s Day conjures so many emotions in women, doesn’t it? It seems that every February, a thousand emotions stir inside me, and like a human stack of Russian nesting dolls, I see myself at a dozen different ages feeling some combination of those emotions.

Welcome the new year with fresh updates and simple remodeling tips to make your home feel oh-so 2012, but don’t start knocking out walls and pulling up carpet just yet. Check out these small-scale ideas to give your living space a renewed feeling of freshness.

Do you feel like you can’t afford to decorate for the holidays? It can get out of control unless you buy everything on clearance the year before and plan ahead, which I have to admit, I don’t. So if you’re like me, here are some ideas that will help you look at how you decorate in a whole new light.

Molly Bingaman is has been in Kansas City just three years, but her Volker neighborhood Victorian is finely polished. This 28-year-old lady owns some serious furniture — no college leftovers or Craigslist finds in her house. For example, how many twentysomethings boast a polished cherry wood dining table for eight?

A sassy hat and a pair of double-take-inducing shoes can really spice up an outfit, right? Ditto that idea for a room. By sprucing up the highs and lows, you can transform a room’s look and make everything in between seem more upscale and fabulous.

When’s the last time you freshened your decor? While I believe the best in home design is timeless and the finest furnishings are forever, I advocate a “style reboot” every few years. Rebooting — rearranging and reaccessorizing (I’m not talking a full remodel here!) — helps us avoid accumulation and stagnation.

OK, ’fess up. Is your house ready for company at this very moment? If I showed up unannounced at your front door (which would, admittedly, be very rude, even under the assumption that we’re good friends), would you welcome me in promptly and unapologetically?